Fic Of The Week - Week Ten

[bk_forever]

I hope everyone enjoyed last week's fics! I also hope none of you have family members like Ianto's Great Aunt - she could send a herd of weevils running for the hills. In fact, Ianto would probably prefer facing a herd of weevils. What an unpleasant woman!

Only one fic this week. I intend to alternate for the time being - one recent and one older short fic in the same week, then one longer fic the next week - because there have been a lot of Big Bangs posted recently, and there are also still a lot of reel_torchwood fics that I want to read from the last round.

This week's fic is Electric Sheep by pokerkitten from way back in April 2007. There are 13 chapters, each chapter linking to the next, so they should be easy enough to find. First chapter is here: http://pokerkitten.livejournal.com/194649.html 

The summary says: Jack has been back at Torchwood Three for a few months now. He was fine with that... until he began to uncover a pattern in what had seemed to be random, unconnected murders. Now he wishes he was anywhere, any time, but here!

It's mainly Jack/Ianto (like everything I pick!), but according to the author, the rest of the team do appear.

I'm a massive fan of Blade Runner as well as the novel it was based on (Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep), so I just couldn't resist. Electric sheep in Wales - wouldn't they short-circuit from all the rain? (Yes, I am weird. Why do you ask?)

Anyway, on with the show. Happy reading, everyone!

Comments

[daniforblue.livejournal.com]

Oh. I love Blade Runner. It´s one of my top ten favorite movies. I read the book too. One more thing we have in common.

[bk_forever]

It's been one of my favourite movies ever since I saw it at the cinema when it was first released! I have the DVD box set and I'm getting the feeling that I want to re-watch it as soon as I have the time!

This fic is good too - I've read 5 chapters and I only stopped because it's getting late. It's very mysterious, I can't wait to find out exactly what it going on!

[debmommy22.livejournal.com]

Thanks girl! :D

PS. YES you are weird, that is why I love ya! :D

[bk_forever]

Weird people are the best, they're so much more fun! I embrace my weirdness!

[debmommy22.livejournal.com]

Hahahahhaaaa!!!!

I shall then too! :D

[bk_forever]

Do it, you know you want to! Be weird and proud of it, celebrate your weirdness, 'cause normal people are boring! I know, I've met some!

Heee! Growing older is unavoidable, growing up is optional! Keep young at heart! =D

*hugs tight*

[debmommy22.livejournal.com]

Ok....but....I'M SCARED!!!! :O

[bk_forever]

It'll be fine, I'm here! *hugs* =P

[debmommy22.livejournal.com]

LOL! *Laying on the Floor*

You did KNOW I am certifiably CRAZY don't you?! 0_O

I have two doctors with the paper work to verify it!

[bk_forever]

I don't mind if you don't *cackles madly*

[debmommy22.livejournal.com]

You have papaers too??!!!! 0_0

[bk_forever]

Not for a very long time, back in my twenties. I was treated for 'a nervous breakdown' - which in my opinion, at least in my case, was doctor-speak for 'We don't know what the hell is wrong with you, so we'll say it's all in your head and dope you up with tranquilizers and anti-depressants so we don't have to deal with you any more, the psychiatrists can have you.' *sigh*

[debmommy22.livejournal.com]

Oh, that sucks!....I don't mind being crazy; I used to it by now. I was just kidding you. :D

Yeah the wrong kind of doctorS can and HAVE screwed up a lot of people. I've been very lucky. You probably didn't even need a psychiatrist....that's MY job! I'm so sorry they messed you up. Dumbasses!!! :(

For a doctor to say "anything" "is all in your head!"...just shows total ignorance on their part! They didn't care about you at all. That's when I would have just walked out and went looking for someone better, but I don't know how it is where you live + doctors sometimes think they know it all and can be very intimidating...forgive spelling, just too damn tired to care!

[bk_forever]

I was young, lacking in confidence and completely demoralised by being passed from doctor to doctor. By that point I WAS depressed and I figured they must know what they were talking about. They didn't, so here I am with no life, 30 years wasted and not getting any better. At least I have the internet now so I have friends and I found you! Or did you find me? Whatever, it doesn't matter now, we found each other and that's what's important! =D

[debmommy22.livejournal.com]

I'm glad we found each other too! {{{Hugs}}}...ok I am only semi-crazy, but what fun is normal?!....I being silly again.

Twenty years ago my self-confidence was low, well still is sometimes and I just did what they said too. I was just lucky enough to have a good doctor who recommended me to a group of who worked out of a building not a hospital. They were excellent. I wish you could have had that kind of care. I really do. I'm not bragging about me, I was damn lucky!...and I figured God was looking out for me, but that sounds bad too because he loves everyone so why did you get crap care? Sorry, putting my foot in my mouth.

You said they gave you anti-depressants and tranqulizers....brain fail me now!...what did you say it did to you? Your memory, like me, or your eyes. (Taking notes again.)

[bk_forever]

My memory was affected, I lost a lot of memories and now it's so full of holes it resembles swiss cheese. My memory is better these days, but what I lost I'll never get back, a lot of my childhood memories and most of the time that I was addicted. Then there's the panic attacks and agoraphobia. =( Ah well, just got to make the best of things now!

The British medical system is not as good as it should be, but it's what we've got and at least the National Health Service is free. I can't afford private medical care, which is the alternative. We have good doctors at our local practice, but they are overworked and don't have much time to spend with each patient. Hospital waiting lists are way too long, and a lot of hospital doctors aren't terribly good. When I've had surgery, I've been treated very well, but out-patient clinics aren't so good. =(

[debmommy22.livejournal.com]

This almost sounds like electric shock treatments though I know it wasn't. What medications did they give you? Do you remember or do you want to tell me in private on an email?...were they heavy antipsychotics or mild tranquilers like Xanax?...well not likely Xanax I would think.

I am on Ativan and it affects my short term memory. I can remember a lot of things from my 20's actually because I was only on very light medications at the time, we're backwards. :/ I was taking the first antidepressants called tricyclics which I think now did next to nothing except give me dry-mouth, needed drink a lot of water and made it difficult to pee. lol!(horrible combination) Not kidding. It did that to everyone I knew in the mental hospital. I did finally start taking Xanax, it gave me hiccups, lol! I took Klonopin for a long time, but then I started having TMJ. My jaw would tighten up on a tranquilizer?! Weird. I am on Ativan now and it helps my stress with the only side-effect being I can't remember yesterday and need to take notes so as not to drive everyone crazy!...but I really don't have a choice. I feel so stressed and awful without it. I am on two mood stabilizers, Lamictal, and my new one is Trileptal. All of my meds for my Bipolar II depression seem to be anticonvulsants, at least the ones that work! Lamictal is a mood stablizer, but I think it is classified the same. I'm tired of looking stuff up tonight. It seems like they are all used for epilepsy or seizures, but can be used for other things. lol! I don't have either problem.
In my 20's they thought I was "just" depressed, little to no knowledge of any other Bipolar disorder but manic-depression was known.

Am I boring you yet? heeeeeeeee!

I didn't have mood swings as badly back then. My Psychiatrist says Bipolar gets worse with age! OH! FUN!!!...I have so much to look forward to as an old person. No telling what physical stuff I will develop too!...sorry...there I go again.

Good Lord, this is long!

I want to reply about your hospitals too.

I will post this and reply to it next or after I rest. LOL! I talk/type too much! :/

PS...Like I need to write more, I love your attitude after all you have been through and still going through. I understand about panic attacks and especially about agoraphobia.

[bk_forever]

It was the Ativan that did my memory in! I'm less surprised about that now, knowing how it affects your memory. At the time, I was told it wasn't addictive and there weren't side effects. Probably, people using it couldn't remember that they kept forgetting things (I'm being sarcastic or ironic, not sure which). I don't remember what antidepressants I was on though. After I came off Ativan (which was a horrible experience, I developed agoraphobia and panic attacks, so I was put on another tranquilizer, Diazepam. Again, I was told it wasn't addictive. To start with, it knocked me out. Then I started having mood swings, I couldn't sleep and I started flying into rages and self-harming. I weaned myself off those without any help from the Doctor and I've refused any kind of tranquilizer since, just learned to cope with the agoraphobia and panic attacks by myself.

I think you have it worse, knowing that your Bipolar with get worse as you get older. We cope because we don't have any other choice.

I'm wheezy today, what fun. I'd probably feel better if this turned into a proper cough, it's settling on my chest =(